


Christmas

by JustPlainJane



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 03:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5523044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustPlainJane/pseuds/JustPlainJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I work in retail. Sometimes there's irritatingly catchy Christmas music. Sometimes that music turns into weird little fic things in my head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas

_"I wanna kiss you so_  
_Like no-one has before_  
_Under the mistletoe_  
_We'll fall in love for sure_  
_It's only a kiss you know_  
_So don't you ask for more_  
_Under the mistletoe_  
_We'll fall in love for sure."_

By the time Gibbs notices the trap Abby's laid for him in her lab, it's a good few minutes too late and the vaguely panicked look on Kate's face as she tapped his shoulder claimed that she hadn't noticed all that quickly either.  
Abby's gotten that self-satisfied grin on her face that says she's just pulled off something spectacular and he can't figure out just what that something is until he sees her eyes flickering back and forth between him and the ceiling, a cold feeling of dread swamping over him and settling heavy in his stomach at the sight of the festive springs of greenery suspended over his head.

"Abs." He groans quietly. She always took this kind of thing far too seriously. "Don't make me do this. C'mon." She's far enough away he can't just press a kiss to her cheek and have this over with and lord knows she won't let him move out from underneath the mistletoe until he has kissed someone.  
  
Abby shakes her head, looking like a kid who'd seen Santa himself as Tony backs away out of her lab, claiming paperwork or a witness or some stupid excuse they all know isn't true just as Ab's computer starts flashing something that looks suspiciously like 'positive match'. Gibbs arches an eyebrow, imapatience quickly building uncomfortably in his gut. He knew Abby wouldn't jepordise a case but the sooner he knew what that result actually meant the better. Abby's smile turns devious until Kate gives in and gives up her hunt for an excuse to leave, leans in and brushes a kiss over his jaw.  
  
"Knew you'd give in to the Christmas magic eventually!" She mutters cheerfully and turns back to her computer to tap away at the keyboard, working in a way that might as well be magic to him.  
  
Gibbs just shakes his head, his arm snaking around Kate's waist to pull her against the comfortingly solid wall of his chest, capturing her lips in a tender kiss that she almost groans into, one hand sliding against his shoulder as he tangles his own fingers loosely into her hair.  
He releases her just before Abby turns back and if she notices the lipstick smeared over his lips, she says nothing.  
And Kate does nothing until they're in the safety of the elevator when she tuts and wipes it away, allowing him to press a kiss to the pad of her thumb as she does.  
  
"You're going to get us caught doing things like that." She scolds half-heartedly, though he knows she'd melted against him willingly enough

"Should bring mistletoe home so I can kiss you more throughly and won't get tempted, then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

_"But this Christmas,_  
_I'm gonna risk it all,_  
_This Christmas,_  
_I'm not afraid to fall,_  
_So I'm at your door with nothing more than words I've never said,_  
_You know this night you'll see me like you've never seen me yet,_  
_Wrapped in red."_

When he opens the door to her bundled-up-in-winter-coats self, the first thing that hits him is how stunning she looks. The second is that she's changed to her Christmas perfume. The one that's warm and like cinnamon but slightly sweeter and it makes him want to keep her in his living room in front of a good log fire for weeks.

Not realising he's wrapped up in thoughts of unwrapping her, Kate offers a warm grin. Her plans of admitting just how much she wants him, how she wishes he might stand just a little closer, wrap his arms around her and kiss her in that stupid elevator already unraveling. She clearly hadn't had enough Dutch courage before leaving but she'd wanted to be at least semi-coherent.

"I brought your gift, since I left it at home this morning." She explains quietly. "Cookies, too."

He rolls his eyes, nods and steps aside so she can come in. "Wasn't actually expecting you to come over tonight, Kate. Christmas isn't for weeks yet."

What she wants to say is _'I just wanted to see you, really. I miss you when I'm not at work.'_  
  
What actually falls from her lips is a laugh and a tease that not everyone is as disorganised as he is as she lets him guide her heavy winter coat down from her shoulders as she juggles the presents and box of cookies from hand to hand. She unwinds the scarf from around her neck and tries not to shiver in the cool air of his hallway, long legs and elegant throat exposed in a red dress that covers less than it should in front of her boss as she hooks her scarf up on the rack he'd put her coat on.  
He draws in a sharp breath through his teeth and drags his gaze hungrily over her but says nothing and leads the way through to his living room so she can stand close to the fire he's gotten going to keep warm.

"You can't open the presents until Christmas but you're more than welcome to the cookies now." She offers, noting that he was mid-way through dinner and apologising quietly.

"Don't mind interrupting a meal for a beautiful woman, Katie." He eases the wrapped presents out of her hands and herds her over to the couch, not noticing her cheeks burning a near painfully bright red as he wanders away, going to get them a mug of coffee, presents dumped on the kitchen table when he finally flops down beside her. She wedges the cookie tin open and they eat in companionable silence for a while as she tries to gather her nerves but he never could let things be.

"You really come here to eat cookies with an old man?"

 _'No. I came to tell you when you sit close like this you're all I can think about and you smell so good it drives me insane.'_ She wishes she could force those actual words out of herself but fails again, just nudges him gently. "You're not that old. Maybe I wanted to sit and talk for a while?"

Gibbs doesn't believe her and she knows it but he doesn't call her out on it, just shrugs and plucks another cookie from the tin for himself and dunks it in his coffee.

 _'Sometimes I ache for you to just hold me after a difficult case. You feel so safe.'_  
  
"I made them myself but I figured you wouldn't want to risk sharing with DiNozzo. I'm not sure he even really knows what 'sharing' means." She laughs and is briefly mesmerised by the warm grin that twitches at his lips.

"DiNozzo's not so bad if y'can eat quick." He allows quietly and they lapse easily back into easy silence.

After an hour of quiet small talk, Kate's ready to admit to herself she's not quite got the courage to admit to him that she wants him and starts her goodbyes, pushing herself up to her feet and trying not to be surprised when he shows her to the door, helps her on with her coat.  
"You sure you'll be alright driving home in this weather?" Gibbs checks for the second time in the space of five minutes, feeling oddly protective over her.

Kate laughs fondly. "I'll be fine." She promises as she pushes herself up onto her tiptoes, gathering every last scrap of courage to wrap her arms around his neck and engulf him in a hug, allowing herself to believe she hadn't imagined the small noise of pleasure he'd made as he'd buried his nose down against her neck and wound his arms around her middle.  
She hugs him tightly for a few long moments, fingers stroking through the few short, soft hairs at the nape of his neck before she presses a kiss to his cheek and starts to peel herself back. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jethro."  
  
_'I think I love you. It hurts. Since when does love hurt like this?'_  
  
She allows herself to believe he really does look as sad as she thinks he does, the use of his given name sliding strangely smoothly off her tongue before she heads for the door  
"See ya tomorrow." He calls after her as he watches her make her way to the car.  
  
_'God, you're trouble. Think I love with you, Caitlin.'_

**Author's Note:**

> Even if I'm not replying to comments right now, I read every one left and really do love receiving them so thank you to all the beautiful, kind nuggets who've left a comment so far! Merry Christmas/Happy holidays! Again, I imported this from the notes section on my phone so lord knows what the grammar/formatting's actually like.


End file.
